Grass Roots Football Live sold

07-Dec-10by Annie Byrne

VCM Events has sold its Grass Roots Football Live exhibition.The Birmingham NEC-based event, which has attracted 60,000 visitors since its inception in 2005, has been acquired by a group of international football consultants for an undisclosed sum.Over the past 12 months the group has been responsible for the organisation and direction of all international events for the Australian World Cup bid team and has purchased a substantial majority ownership of the show.One of the group, Joanna Burns, says: “Bob Rosen and his team have done a fantastic job to create the concept of the show and establish it as the premier event of its kind on the footballing calendar in Britain.“With our expertise and resources, we have the ability to further develop the event and deliver an even larger and greater footballing experience for the grass roots game.“Wherever you go, people talk about grass roots football. There is a huge appetite among the major brands and governing bodies to become involved in this event and we expect to make some major announcements in the coming months.”Bob Rosen, a partner at VCM Events and one of the founders of Grass Roots Football LIVE, says: “It has been hugely rewarding to create and develop Grass Roots Football LIVE from the mere glimmer of an idea into a major national event."This is exactly the right organisation with the right sporting credentials and empathy to take the brand onto the next stage of its journey,” he adds.

As the UK has voted to leave the European Union with a 52 per cent majority result, EN has spoken to members of the exhibition and events industry, to gauge their initial reactions on the future of the UK and their businesses.